Mom of the Future
by navnit
Summary: Johanna Beckett gets transported fifteen years into the future just before she gets stabbed. What happens when she meets the newly married Mr and Mrs Castle? What happens when she meets her now fifteen years older, recovering alcoholic and widower husband?
1. Chapter 1

**MOM OF THE FUTURE**

Notes:

 _ **Hi. First Castle solo fiction posting on FFNet. I have written for this fandom before, only posted on Archive of our Own if you're interested. As it is; while I like reading vanilla Castle fanfictions I do not like writing them, so expect the Sci-Fi, the Supernatural, and the Bizarre from me all the time. Case in point; Mom of the Future. Enjoy and please leave some form of feedback if you can, its ALWAYS appreciated!**_

 **Chapter One**

She held the bulky office phone to her ear as she signed off on the last of her forms. "Yes, reservations for three please. A private seating? Yes. Make it under Beckett. Thanks so much. You too. Bye."

She put the receiver down with her pen and locked her hands behind her head stretching her forearms up and hearing her tired bones crackle under the tension. But she had no business being tired today; her daughter was finally deigning to grace her family with her presence and not be out with friends on the town or shopping. A quiet private dinner in one of the better restaurants the city could provide was the perfect send off.

She quickly packed up her bag, hoping to get a nice soak in before making their reservation. As she was picking up her careworn copy of _In A Hail of Bullets_ , which she had just finished rereading, her phone rang. she rolled her eyes at the bothersome device before picking it up. The person who answered made her think she wasn't going to be able to get that soak in after all. Checking her watch she nodded; yes, she had just enough time to meet her contact then make it to her family dinner slash college send off.

Tapping the mother of the ceramic family of elephants sitting on her desk on the trunk she gathered up her things, leaving _In A Hail of Bullets_ on her desk to pick up later, she walked out of her office to meet her contact, three inch heels clicking in her wake.

Johanna hurried across the alley wishing she had enough sense not to pursue this case as relentlessly as she had. She had dinner scheduled with her family for gods sake and yet here she was chasing down blind leads and walking down dark alleys in bad neighborhoods like she didn't know any better.

And really what pursuit for justice was she searching for anyway? Pulgatti was a mob boss; he had probably been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people and if this case was the reason he was behind bars then she should be grateful for this particular miscarriage of the justice system that allowed a man like him to not roam free on the streets.

However, as was Johanna's nature, she tended to see any miscarriage of justice as a slight on her profession and integrity. Lawyers were already considered the lowest scum in the system, doing anything for money and she hated the stereotype and then there was her daughter to think about. Her Katie looked up to her mother so much that she actually was pursuing the same exact career and Johanna never wanted to see the day when her daughter would stumble upon an unsolved case of hers and ask the question that if she knew this man was innocent then why didn't she pursue this case to the best of her abilities.

And so there she was, being late for her dinner because one of her shadier contacts had called and asked to meet with some damning evidence. She just hoped whatever it was wasn't going to make her miss her meeting with her family.

The hand that grabbed her came out of nowhere, she didn't hear a footfall behind her or even feel like someone was watching her, all she felt was the hard grip of rough male fingers around her elbow and another gloved hand covering her mouth and she was yanked away from plain view. She struggled but the man was built like a rock and there was no budging him. She had never felt so helpless in her life. Then she heard the sound of a knife being unsheathed, her eyes widened as the glint of silver came into her sight then plunged down towards her midsection.

Johanna didn't know where her surge of adrenaline came from but just as the knife went to plunge her kidney she lifted her heeled foot and somehow managed to deliver a glancing blow at the man's left calf muscle, his hand faltered at the last minute and the knife plunged into her right forearm causing a searing pain to flare up, she reacted to the pain and twisted in the man's grip to get away.

The blinding light hit her as soon as she got out of her would be killers grip, she stumbled around trying to blink away the spots behind her eyes not understanding where the light was coming from. Did he shine a flash light in her face? Did he have some kind of flash bang grenade like the ones the Swat police used? Her eyes hurt and so did her arm. She needed to get out of there, she couldn't allow herself to get killed, it would completely destroy her family to lose her. If she could just get the damn light out of her eyes.

She finally managed to blink away some of the spots and then shook her head disbelievingly; she was standing in broad day light, in the same alley as before only judging by the hot sun glaring down at her from clear skies it was probably mid morning. What the hell?

Looking back down from the sky though she saw her supposed attacker leaning down elbows on his knees, dressed in all black with a dark trench coat, collars turned up, he looked less menacing in the light especially with hands covering his face trying to blink out the blinding light.

Johanna looked down at her arm and saw the knife sticking out of her forearm, she grimaced and pulled the weapon out of her arm, her stomach turning as her body shuddered with pain. She wanted to drop the weapon but any second now that man was going to regain his senses and come after her. She was tempted to plant the knife in her attackers back but she was no killer so she did the sensible thing and pushed the man from behind making him fall face forward then ran as fast as her heeled feet would carry her in the opposite direction.

She left the alley and found herself in a semi crowded street with people bustling around going about their business, not really bothering to care about the middle aged woman with the bleeding hand and a knife in their path. New Yorkers; you could always count on them to mind their own bloody business, especially in these parts.

She looked around knowing there was a payphone nearby but didn't find one, she frowned; she could have sworn there was one near the alley. She finally spotted one across the street and rushed forwards causing a couple of cars to honk at her but she paid them no mind. Something was going on, something she couldn't explain but it was freaking her out. First of all she needed to call _nine one one_ and an ambulance then she needed to call her family and have them comfort her, otherwise she was going to have a mental break down.

She was grateful for the alcove the payphone provided, the stand hid her from view of anyone coming out of the alley she had just been in so she could make the call relatively safely.

Johanna glanced at the ad on the payphone booth as she passed and did a double take. ' _What the hell was Free WiFi?'_ She shook her head, she'd wonder about that later, right now she needed to call the police and have herself checked out before she bled out.

"Nine one one emergency response how may I help you?"

"Hi. My name is Johanna Beckett and I have just been attacked in an alley near 44th & Lex, I managed to get away from my attacker but I was stabbed in the arm and am bleeding very badly."

"Okay Johanna, I need you to remain calm, an ambulance and the police are on their way to your location right now."

"Please hurry, he was still in the alley when I ran, he could be after me."

"Don't worry Johanna, just stay with me okay."

"Hey, excuse me ma'am are you okay?"

She looked up into the eyes of a young police officer, he was a few inches taller than her and had dark brown eyes. His face was concerned as he took in her bleeding arm but the minute he spotted the knife in her hand he tensed.

"Ma'am please put the knife down," he said slowly and clearly his hand unhooking the strap on his holster.

Johanna immediately dropped the knife and tried to raise her free hand in the air but since it was the injured one it didn't go very far.

"Johanna? Who was that?" asked the girl on the other end of the line.

"Please," said Johanna, her voice tired, her night or day, was not going the way she had planned. "I was attacked in that alley," she hooked her finger back at the alley of death she had come from. "I managed to get away but he got me in the arm."

The officer looked at her shrewdly but didn't lift the hand off of the gun. "Who are you talking to?"

"Johanna? Is it him?" asked the operator. "Is your attacker there?"

"No!" said Johanna a little too loudly in the receiver. "I...uh...called nine one one," she said to Officer _Keith_ spying the name tag on his breast pocket.

"Step away from the phone ma'am," he said closing in on her and she complied readily, as long as the boy didn't arrest her or leave her she was fine with whatever he wanted to do.

Keith walked over and took up the receiver. "This is patrol Officer Vincent Keith, badge number 419175 from the 7th precinct please confirm that this is nine one one emergency dispatch."

She watched him nod and the tension eased off of his shoulders. "And what was the nature of her call?" he asked after a moment. "Okay. I'll take it from here and escort Mrs Beckett safely to the hospital. Thank you for you help.

Keith turned back to her his brown eyes softer as he took out a baggie from his utility belt and bagged the knife. Then he approached her his arms open and nonthreatening.

"I'm Officer Keith," he said cautiously. And Johanna nodded. "Want me to take a look at that?" he asked pointing at her wound.

She shrugged and offered up her arm feeling her body deflate a little, the blood loss plus the anxiety and the sudden change from night to day was getting to her.

"Please officer," she asked as he looked over her stab wound. "My family was expecting me for dinner yesterday evening, I need to get into contact with them."

"I'll help you call them as soon as I can," he promised then shook his head. "I can't do anything about this except help stop the bleeding!" He opened his belt again and pulled out a thick woolen piece of cloth. "Here, hold this over your wound tightly until the EMTs get here."

Johanna did as she was instructed and stemmed the blood flow with the surprisingly soft cloth Keith handed to her.

"Now you said that you were attacked in that alley?" he said pointing at the alley of death. Johanna nodded. "EMTs are two minutes out, wait for them here and I'll go check the alley out see if he's still there."

Feeling vulnerable all of a sudden she shook her head. "Officer Keith, Vince. Please don't leave me alone here," she didn't say it but she was terrified she might be attacked again, she definitely didn't feel safe.

Keith looked at her then back at the alley for a second obviously conflicted then made up his mind. "Okay but as soon as back up arrives I'm checking that place out then I'm taking you to the hospital, got it?"

Johanna nodded. "Got it," She agreed feeling no reason to really contradict the boy.

She looked over Keith or rather Vince speculatively, even through trauma she was still thinking like a mother and she couldn't help but think that maybe Vince and Kate might get along. Before she could help herself she spoke up. "You have a girlfriend, Officer Keith?"

His eyes widened at that question. "Mrs Beckett I'm flattered and I think you are very beautiful but I might be a little young for you."

Johanna blushed at that remark. "Oh no I wasn't talking about me," she hurried to explain. "My...my daughter Kate, she's about your age and I thought..."

"Kate?" asked Keith his eyes sharp on hers. "Kate Beckett?"

"Yes," Johanna said slowly. "You know her?"

"Know her?" asked Keith incredulously. "Only..." he was cut off as the sirens hit their ears and an ambulance and two squad cars sped over to their location screeching to a halt beside them. The EMTs were all over her and Keith took one of the patrol cops that had arrived and went off down the alley to search for her attacker.

He came back fifteen minutes later nothing to show for his efforts, Johanna's arm had been bandaged and she was refusing to be allowed to be taken to the hospital to get stitches. Johanna was insisting that she could get there herself and didn't need to ride with them.

Keith waked up to them. "I'll take her over there," he said dismissing the argument. "You alright?" he asked the older woman and Johanna nodded. "You wanna come with me to the hospital to get that arm stitched up?"

She nodded again and stepped in beside the officer. "I parked around the curb, was actually on my lunch break when I saw you.."

They came up to a beefed up police squad car and her eyes widened at the sports car like design.

"Nice huh?" Keith asked as he opened the passenger door for her. "This isn't my normal squad car but we busted a street racing ring down in Chinatown last night and I still have to return this to the precinct."

"So what car is this? My husbands sort of a car nut, I might recognize this from some of his ramblings."

Keith grinned grateful to have someone to brag to. "This here," he said stroking the steering wheel lovingly. "Is a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS fully customized and tuned for interception precision. It's been modified a little for police work mainly to make it more sturdy for ramming but this is the real deal right here. American muscle in a sleeker package."

Johanna held in a breath. "T-two thousand and ten?" she asked not believing her ears.

Keith raised his eyebrows as he fired up the engine. "Yup, I know it's four years old but it gets the job done, you know."

"F-four... years...old..."

"Johanna?" asked Keith as she started slipping. "Johanna!" She heard once more then everything went blank.

End Notes:

 _ **Yeah! So how was that? Tell me please? Down in the reviews. Please leave your feedback, it helps me churn out chapters faster and gives me more insight into my own story. Also this is going to be a long one. At least I hope. Next chapter? Some Caskett fun. Enjoy!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_AAAAHHHH! I was completely blown away from the response to the first chapter of this story. Truly you guys are the best and you have bolstered my spirit with your reviews. Some have asked for the timeline; story is set Post 7x07 after their honeymoon at the ranch. Canon compliant till there then I'll take some liberties. As for Johanna being dead if she time travelled well that you'll have it wait to find our ;-)_**

 ** _Onto acknowledging the less fun part of this note; this isn't the only story I posted recently. In fact I posted two more in regards to the Castle Fandom one of which is a Crossover with Harry Potter. And I was honestly not anticipating the backlash I got from posting these first chapters. My fault; I asked for feedback and you guys provided and I am grateful._**

 ** _Thing is I have written these first chapters months ago. I'm probably half way through most of theses stories and the chapters are written and waiting to be posted. So rest easy about me not being able to update these stories. I have most chapters ready and if for some reason I'm not updating regularly I will let my readers know. As it is I have a couple more stories I need to post but I will hold off until I get further into the ones that I have already posted. Now on to some Caskett!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Kate opened her eyes and her lips turned up at the sight of the soundly sleeping Rick Castle in front of her, she still sometimes wondered how it had all come to this? How had she gotten to this point on her life when she got to wake up next to him every day?

Six years ago she wouldn't have even entertained the thought of it but now, thinking about waking up alone in her double bed, in her lonely plain looking apartment made her stomach churn. She shifted a little and smiled as Castle snuggled into her. He was predictably tactile in bed as she had suspected but what she hadn't expected was how open to cuddling she herself was. There were a lot of times in the past when she had initiated contact that had absolutely nothing to do with sex and everything to do with him.

Looking back at the Kate Beckett she was before Castle she discovered that none of that person remained in this woman that she had become. A lot of women would be worried about that; that the powerful, confident, closed off, badass detective that she was, had become such a sap that somehow she had lost her identity in Castle but she wasn't one of those women. That Kate Beckett was stuck in a limbo and wasn't getting anywhere, her heart was beating, her mind was working but her life was stagnant.

Castle was the one who kickstarted her life once more and she would be always grateful to him for that. Always.

Her stomach gurgled again and she frowned down at it, what had she eaten yesterday that was upsetting her stomach. Well she hadn't eaten much of anything last night because yesterday was the anniversary of her mother's murder; fifteen years and this was the first one which she didn't spend alone and she was convinced it was the right decision. Castle just got her on the level that no one else not even her own mother ever could, he was so in tune with her that he knew exactly when to leave her alone, comfort her, needle her, and when to make her laugh.

Last night was the first anniversary in which she hadn't cried herself to sleep, she had cried but it was now more for the fact that her mother would never get to see the man that she had chosen to be her son in law. She wouldn't get to meet Alexis and marvel at the bond between the redhead and her step mother, she wouldn't get to see her daughter finally happy and where she belonged.

Last night was the hardest she had wished that her mother was here with her but for the first time, she hadn't made that wish for herself but for her family. God she was getting sentimental but she couldn't really bring herself to berate herself for it. It was a nice feeling being loved and her husband and his family made sure to remind her that she was all the time.

As her stomach squirmed again she remembered that this wasn't the first time she had had an upset stomach this week. She had ended up bringing her dinner back up a few nights ago after a particular serving of Chinese didn't agree with her. Castle had been all for getting her checked over but the nausea had gone as quickly as it came. Castle had boxed up the leftover and put it away fussing over her like a mother hen. She had silenced him with a minty kiss and made him take her to bed. She knew though that he had kept a more careful eye on her so she had tried to be inconspicuous in her occasional bouts of nausea and sudden tiredness. She attributed it all to the upcoming anniversary yesterday, it was not uncommon for her to make herself sick with tears and sobbing and so she had assumed that it would pass in time. Apparently not.

Castle's eyes opened to meet his wife of just over six weeks now and he smiled at the hopeful and content, slightly contemplative look in her eyes. He loved that he was able to put that smile on her face and he loved that he had managed to help her last night, to help her go through the toughest time in the year. It broke his heart to see her so forlorn but he was glad that she was letting him take care of her, that's all her had wanted ever since he had so callously read her that first day he had barged into her precinct; when he had read the pain in her eyes at his conclusions he had wanted to bundle her up an tuck her in close to him and never let go. Needless to say Kate Beckett would never take kindly to him doing that so last night he had done the next best thing and taken care of her and in the afternoon she had taken him to visit her mother's grave and he had promised her that he would always take care of Kate. Always.

That night when she had confided in him that she wanted her mother here so that she could experience him first hand he had told her that she was there with them because she was alive in her, but as they had gone to sleep he had wished with all his heart that her wish could come true and that Johanna Beckett could actually see that he hadn't failed her daughter. That he loved her completely.

"Hey," he said smiling at her.

"Hey," she replied leaning in for a kiss but before their lips met she put her hand over her mouth and bolted off the bed and into the bathroom. Castle followed his eyes wide as he heard the sound of violent retching. He knelt down next to his wife gathering up her glorious golden brown hair in his hands as she heaved out the meagre dinner he had fed her last night.

"God Castle," she said as she turned to him wiping her mouth after worshiping the porcelain deity. "What the hell was that?"

He shrugged. "It was definitely not the food, I ate the same thing you did and I feel fine."

Being a writer and a detective meant that their minds travelled at a speed faster than a normal human being, they both internally went over the last week; all the signs, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness and her mood swings, one minute she was affectionate the next she wanted to be left alone. Two seconds later they were both looking down at Beckett's flat toned stomach.

"No," said Castle a slow grin forming on his face.

"You don't think?" She asked hesitantly.

"I do," he replied jumping up and opening the cabinet to pull out her pills . "That's this month's pills, completely sealed, you forgot to take them."

Kate bit her lip as she glanced up at him. "Is it too soon?"

Castle wanted to frown but he had made assumptions with her before. "Do you want this?" he asked directly no pressure or judgement in his gaze.

Kate nodded. "More than anything."

He smiled down at her and knelt down to pick her up off the floor. "Then it's not too soon."

"Are we happy about this?" she asked him stroking her hand over his overnight stubble.

"I am and I hope you are," he replied and she smiled nodded and hugging him.

"Though I'm not too fond of the throwing up at all times."

Castle grinned sheepishly.

"When do you think?"

"I can't really tell," he replied. "There was a lot of that going on before and after the wedding..."

Kate moved out of his arms and grabbed her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth, Castle followed and they settled into their routine weaving in and out of each others paths as they danced their practiced morning dance.

After they had showered and were getting dressed she spoke up. "I have to get a test done, then I need to inform Gates and set up a doctor's appointment with my Gyno and then..."

Castle quietened her with a hug. "Hey, let's take it slow okay," he said into her hair. "We'll get the home test and make sure, then we'll set up the doctors appointment then we can go and tell Gates together once we're sure."

"Castle what if this is a false alarm?" she asked lifting her head from his chest.

"Do you want this?" he asked her again.

"Yes, I do," she said her voice sure.

"The we'll try again and make it not a false alarm next time."

Kate wondered at that and then nodded smiling and snuggling back into his chest. They were going to have a baby.

Her phone rang then Esposito's number flashing on screen. They shared a look and smiled and she answered on speaker.

"Beckett."

"Hey Kate, you need to get down here."

Her eyebrows went up and she shared a concerned look with Castle. "Why Espo what's wrong?" please don't let it be one of ours, she thought hopelessly seeing the same thoughts run through Castle.

"Okay, so I had pinged our systems to message me anytime any of our person of interests names popped up on dispatch or emergency response," He said slowly.

"Yeah I know, Espo I was the one who made you do that remember?" she sad as she violently tugged on a pair of jeans, she felt Castle's hands on her shoulder calming her down, then slowly he helped her pull her jeans on, the he removed her robe and handed her her bra which she put on and he clipped at the back. "What's going on?"

"Today around 9:30am my computer pinged a call made from 44th & Lex."

"That's near the alley where..." Castle trailed of as Kate's features hardened.

"What else Espo?" she asked as Castle handed her a plain white blouse for her to wear.

"Caller said she was a Johanna Beckett and she had been stabbed, that her attacker was still in the alley and that she managed only barly to get away.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked to Castle as if asking him to tell her this wasn't happening. That no one would be this cruel.

"Espo we're on our way," said Castle his eyes on hers. "Meet us at the alley and find out where she went 9:30 was an hour ago."

"I've got that here as well. Says here she was picked up by an Officer Keith, he's escorting her to the hospital to have her arm stitched up where she had been stabbed with a knife."

"Find out which hospital, we'll meet you there."

"Right, I'll text you the address." and he cut the call off not questioning why Castle was answering instead of Beckett.

The minute the call disconnected Kate threw herself Castle her sobs piercing through his chest as pain flared in his heart, his wife's worst nightmare was being relived because someone thought it would be a good joke to pretend to be her long dead mother a day after the anniversary of her death.

As he clutched his wife to his chest Castle promised to himself and to Kate that he would bury this person, whoever had the audacity to play this game with them would be ruined once he was done with them.

* * *

 ** _End Notes:_**

 ** _Vengeful Castle makes me think of Reckoning ;-) Good times! Any who that's the second chapter. As ALWAYS please leave a review. As evidenced by the first note, I do read them and take your advice into consideration. Every bit helps, even if you think I might not like what you have to say I would still love to hear it. Honesty is something I always appreciate. Next Chapter? They meet! Bye for now._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Notes:**_

 _ **Wow! The response just keeps getting better and better. You guys are awesome, and I love that not all of them are overwhelmingly positive, I mean I do love**_ _ **those**_ _ **so definitely keep**_ _ **them**_ _ **coming in but the ones that are critical make me go back and look at my work and try to fix it for the better.**_

 _ **Compliments are great, they help convince me to keep posting but critics are a writers best friend! Keep 'em coming, I appreciate**_ _ **all**_ _ **your feedbacks.**_

 _ **Mama Beckett and Maybe Mama To Be Beckett meet in this one soooo; Hang on to your butts! Hehe**_ _ **;-) Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Johanna came to when Keith screeched his car to a stop outside the emergency area of the hospital and turned off his gumball. He ran around the front of the Camaro and opened Johanna's door kneeling down and tapping lightly on her cheek to get her blinking awake.

"Vince?" she mumbled out trying to sit up straight. "Waz goin on?"

Keith let out a relieved smile. "You fainted Johanna," he replied helping her out. "Remember?"

Johanna blinked at him before looking around her, once her eyes landed on the beefed up Camaro with police stripes it all came rushing back and she almost fainted again but got a grip on herself. She took deep breaths and cleared her mind. Clearly her traumatic experiences were messing with her head and she was hearing and thinking absurd things.

Finally convinced that she was delusional she opened her eyes and recognized the welcoming doors of the Presbyterian Hospital emergency room, where she had had Katie.

She looked to the officer next to her. "What are we doing here?" she asked her voice wavering a little.

"We need to get you stitched up, remember?"

Johanna nodded then catching the bandage on her hand. "Right!" she exclaimed. "Yes of course, come on." She grabbed his elbow and pulled him into the ER.

* * *

Castle pulled up beside the Camaro with police stripes in his Ferrari and opened the door stepping out and meeting Beckett at the front of the car, she was stoic and distant, completely detached and he might have wondered where his wife had gone had she not latched onto his hand like a life line her grip tight. Bordering on painful actually but he wasn't going to tell her that; it was his job to keep her together and that's what he was going to do, this thing would _not_ break her, not if he had something to say about it.

They walked up purposefully to Reception and Kate flashed her badge. "Johanna Beckett," she said her voice cold and foreboding.

The arrested look on the receptionists face made him feel sorry for her as she stumbled around trying to get the information they needed, finally after and intensely tense silence she managed to point them to a room and they hurried off, Beckett almost dragging him along until he jogged to keep up.

She slammed her hand on the door and it swung open to reveal a patrol officer leaning against the adjacent wall looking on as a doctor worked on a patient, stitching up her arm which had a nasty gash on it. Her face was hidden behind the doctors back as he worked but at the sound of the door opening she stuck her head out around him and looked at the new comers.

The two women's eyes met and the world stopped.

Castle's eyes widened as he took in the middle aged woman sitting, she looked like an older version of Beckett only with darker hair and eyes, and she was wearing clothes that were very familiar to him; yes he had seen those clothes before, on the same woman but it was stained red with blood and the woman's face was void of emotion; slack in death.

He recognized her because of the countless hours in the past seven years that he had spent poring over her case file trying to find some evidence to bring her murderer to justice. But he became a hundred percent certain of who she was when the woman standing beside him confirmed it.

"M-mom?" she whispered and her grip on Castle's fingers loosened and she fell into him in a dead faint.

* * *

Johanna looked up from her sutures as the door slammed open, her view was obscured by the doctor tending to her so she shifted to the side and peeked over his shoulder. What she saw made her freeze; she went completely still as she took in the sight before her.

Her daughter was standing right before her looking nothing like the young woman she had kissed goodbye this morning, or was that yesterday morning? But there was no doubt that she was her daughter. Johanna would know her anywhere, only thing was her daughter looked more beautiful then ever and she looked older and her eyes held astonishment, surprise, a fair amount to fiery anger and a lot of pain, pain that shot through her heart as her daughter opened her mouth and whispered. "M-mom?" as if in disbelief and then fell into the man standing next to her who immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, slung her arm over his shoulders and hooked his hands under knees and scooped her into his arms, all before Vince even managed to step forward to offer him help.

He carried her daughter over to the spare bed beside the one she was sitting on and gently lay her down on it, stroking back her hair and whispering gentle words that went unheard by the rest of them.

Johanna shifted to get of the bed but the doctor held her still. "I'm not finished Mrs Beckett," he reprimanded but she shook him off.

"That's my daughter, I want to know what's wrong with her," she said shoving the doctor back and jumping off the bed landing on her stocking clad feet.

The man leaning over her daughter straightened up and sighed. "She's stressed," he said addressing her directly, his blues eyes held disbelief and no small amount of suspicion in them. "And she might be..." he trailed off piquing her curiosity.

"She might be what?" she asked fiercely getting closer to the man, who looked oddly familiar now that she thought about it. "What's wrong with my daughter?"

Castle winced, this was so not how he wanted his wife's, until now dead mother, who had somehow come back to life, to find out that he had possibly gotten her only daughter pregnant.

And was she really even her mother, Johanna Beckett was dead. Castle knew that better than anybody, he had been dealing with the ramifications of her death in regards to his wife ever since he had met her, she had built her entire life around her mother's death and for her to be just standing there _alive_ and in the clothes she had been killed in? He was the first to believe in the supernatural if it embellished the story enough but in actuality he knew where the line was and this experience was just too surreal, even for him.

"Mrs Beckett," he asked seriously. "When Kate was nine and had to have her tonsils take out what way did you comfort her when she was feeling miserable?"

Johanna frowned, what the hell kind of question was that, her daughter was lying there unconscious and this man was asking her questions about her baby's childhood.

"Why does that matter?" she asked stepping into his personal space, keeping the sting of pain from the still unfinished sutures from showing on her face.

"Well unless you answer my question I cannot permit you to go anywhere near her."

The anger that flared at those words surprised even her. How dare this jumped up prick tell her if she can or cannot tend to her daughter when she was hurting.

She lifted her hand poked him in his broad chest. "Listen to me you pompous jackass I am a civil rights attorney and I could sue you for even presuming to stop me from seeing to my daughter, I have power of attorney as her mother, and my new friend here," she said pointing to Keith. "Will make sure that my rights are adhered."

Castle closed his eyes, hating to do this but then he met her gaze head on, he had stared down Kate Beckett before, and even though he hated to say it, but her mom had nothing on her. He whipped out his wallet and pulled out their insurance information shoving it at the Officer who had stepped closer trying to decide if he should intervene.

"I think you'd find that, as her husband, I have the power of attorney and I can and will stop you from approaching her if you fail to answer my question."

Johanna sputtered a little at that tidbit. "W-what?" she asked loudly. "Katie's not married." She stated as absolute fact.

Castle rubbed his forehead impatiently. "Just answer the question please Johanna..."

Johanna flared up again. "Listen to me you asshole, I don't know what game you're playing but you better move aside or help me God..."

"Uh Johanna?" asked Keith hesitantly. "I'm afraid he's right!" He waved the papers at her. "In case of my incapacitation in any regard, I Katherine Hougton Beckett with my full faculties intact do grant my husband Richard Edgar Castle the ability to act in my behalf in any and all legal matters pertaining to my health, financial wellbeing, donorship duties and any other legal matter at hand, signed Katherine Beckett."

"What?!" yelped Johanna reaching across Castle to grab the documents, her shrewd gaze took in the form, the words written in her daughters handwriting and the date 'June 6th 2014'. _What the hell was on with these dates?_

She suddenly felt dizzy again and the doctor didn't miss it. "Mrs Beckett," he said clasping her good arm firmly. "You've lost a lot of blood, please let me finish the sutures. You need to rest." He guided an unresisting Johanna back to the bed to continue her stitches.

Meanwhile the unconscious body on the other bed stirred. "Castle," she called out weakly and he was instantly at her side fussing over her. "Wah happened?" she asked still feeling disoriented. "God I just had the weirdest dream.." she said trying to sit up.

"Hey, hey hon, take it easy okay," said Castle supporting her back as she dropped her heeled feet on the floor her back now facing Johanna so she couldn't see her mother. Castle knelt down next to her and took her hand. "You just had a fainting spell."

She scoffed. "What? Castle I don't faint." The confidence and self assurance in her daughters voice was foreign to her. The daughter she had left behind this morning was experiencing all of the insecurities a young adult woman experienced when asked to step into the real world; this woman in front of her though knew herself and was sure of who she was, she was driven as Jim liked to call it, it was like looking in a mirror.

"Yeah, it might have some thing to do with that thing we talked about in the morning?"

She couldn't see her daughters expression from this side but she saw the girl nod and she saw Castle, _that's where she knew him from,_ glance at her nervously before looking back at Kate, the devotion in those blue eyes was unmistakable.

"Maybe since we're in a hospital we can get that test done and over with?" was the question her daughter posed at the man. _What were they talking about?_

Castle smiled and nodded. "Sure. But love, you remember why we came to the hospital right?"

Kate ran a hand distractedly through her hair nodding. "Hmhm someone thought it would be funny to call nine one one as my mom and say that she had been stabbed." Johanna felt ice shoot through her veins at the pain in her daughters voice, she barely noticed the doctor tie her sutures off. "God, Rick how could someone be that cruel? And I don't know what was going through my head but Babe I swear before I fainted I think I actually saw her Castle, _I saw my mom."_

The anguish in her voice ripped at her heart and she tried to get off the bed to go to her but something kept her legs frozen in place. It was Castle's eyes she decided, the pain in those eyes as they stared at her made her feel as if she had taken his first born an eaten it, it made her feel dirty and ashamed. God what was going on?

"Kate.." he said softly looking back up at her.

"Castle? What is it?"

"It wasn't a dream," he said nodding towards Johanna. "You actually did see her."

"What?" she asked turning halfway "What are you - OH MY GOD!" She screeched and stumbled back off the table and into a now standing Castle. "She's..." she looked for Castle to her mother, "She's real? Oh my god! What the hell?" she reached back to clutch at Castle's arm with a vice like grip.

"Hey, Katie." Johanna said waving her hand stupidly still not being able to step off the bed. The doctor had wandered off and Keith was looking at this by play with an intrigued expression.

The response to her greeting surprised her, the tears in Kate's eyes startled her but the fact that she hid her face in Castle's neck and shuddered, her sobbing body against his, spoke tons about the level of intimacy between the two.

She saw Castle whisper words of comfort to her daughter and felt inadequate, she was really out of her element right now and she didn't know how to comfort her clearly distraught daughter.

"Castle? What's happening?" Kate asked Castle once the sobs subsided.

"I don't know Kate," he replied wishing he could tell her otherwise. "I have no idea."

Kate stared at him. "Castle, that's my mom," she said as if stating a fact and Johanna was lost. Why did her daughter act like she hadn't seen her mother in years?

"Is she?" asked Castle softly brushing away a lock of her, Johanna noticed, beautifully stylized hair. "Really?"

Kate glared at him. "Castle I know my mother," she said fiercely. "And that is her sitting on that bed. How is that possible?"

"Its not," said Castle drawing Beckett's gaze to his. "Remember Kelly Nieman? Remember Javier and Lanie's copies? What if this is one of her sick games? I mean it would be just like her to play with your feelings like this Kate."

Johanna saw her daughters back stiffen and she felt a sense of foreboding, the swing of her daughters head towards her revealed eyes that were shrewd and calculating and she couldn't help but compare it to that of a stalking tiger.

"Wait. What?" she asked quickly as Kate started moving towards her. "Who's Kelly Nieman, Katie it's me, you know it's me."

Johanna saw her steps falter but not for long.

"How do I know you're not one of Niemans puppets?" she asked her voice low and threatening, it honestly scared her. "First my friends now _my mother?_ Prove to me that you are who you say you are." She was feet from her before Castle caught up with her and pulled her back. Johanna got the feeling that only he was actually capable of pulling back an approaching Kate Beckett. _When had her daughter become so formidable?_

"Prove myself?" she asked indignantly. "I am your mother!" She yelled and Kate Beckett Exploded.

"MY MOTHER IS DEAD! SHE WAS MURDERED IN THAT ALLEY THAT YOU CALLED FROM EARLIER! SHE'S BEEN DEAD FOR FIFTEEN YEARS! SO DON'T SIT THERE AND TALK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE MY MOTHER BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THE ONE WHO BURIED HER!"

"Oh My God," Johanna whispered as she looked at the angry woman before her. God the pain in her eyes were unbearable. "I'm dead?" she asked in a hoarse voice not quite believing it.

"Johanna just answer the question I asked you earlier," said Castle nervously as he tried to pull back a vexed Kate Beckett who looked like she wanted nothing more than to rip her eyes out. "Kate, Kate calm down please, it's not good for the baby."

"Baby!" yelped Johanna and Keith who she had actually forgotten all about.

Castle glared at them as he guided Kate to a stool. "Don't you start," He warned. "Just answer the question."

"What question?" asked Kate as Castle lovingly stroked her hair and her anger simmer down a notch.

"When you were unconscious I asked her to prove who she said she was by telling me in what way did she comfort you when you had your tonsils taken out."

"Oh," she said blinking up at him adoringly before fixing a still furious gaze at Johanna. "So _Johanna_ ," she mocked. "Answer the question, if you are who you say you are then tell me, when I had my tonsils taken out what did you do?"

Johanna fixed her with a glare, her daughter might be more scary now but she was still her daughter and she wasn't going to let her get away with that tone of voice. "I took time off work and we marathoned Temptation Lane reruns cuddled on the couch."

There was pin drop silence at that admission before a snort of laughter came from the peanut gallery. "You guys watch Temptation Lane?" both Beckett's glared and Keith and he looked down at his shoes mumbling an apology.

"The reason for my name?" asked Kate getting back up on her feet.

"Katharine Hepburn, I was a fan and so were you," answered Johanna not missing a beat.

"The reason it's spelled different?"

"Your dad's fault," she replied as Kate stepped closer. "He told the nurse the name but didn't specify the right spelling, I was too out of it after twenty two hours of labor but we decided to keep it, it was you."

"My first words?" Kate asked next stepping even closer.

"Kitty," Johanna said promptly. "Followed closely by Dada." Her eyes shone at the memory.

"My first kiss, the name of the boy?" Kate asked next now feet from her mother.

"Trick question," said Johanna immediately. "Your first kiss was with Maddie when you were curious and then you claimed that kissing was overrated because you didn't feel anything from kissing her."

"That is so hot," said Castle from behind her and Kate rolled her eyes.

"We were sixteen Castle," she said not looking away from Johanna.

"Doesn't matter, still hot."

Kate looked into her mother's eyes as she moved to stand an inch apart from her. "Mom?" she asked this time without fainting.

"Its me baby?" she said patiently. "I told you so."

Kate's lips trembled at her mom's favorite phrase before she fell to her knees and buried her face into her mother's lap her body wracking with sobs and realised that some how, some way yesterday's wish had been granted, her mother was here with her.

* * *

 _ **End Notes:**_

 _ **That was surprisingly difficult to right, or proof read as I had written this chapter months ago but still; difficult. I would imagine meeting your dead mom slash mom in law after fifteen years would be kind of difficult, right?**_  
 _ **Anyways that's the meeting I hope it lived up to expectations.**_  
 _ **If it did? Then tell me all about it in the reviews.**_  
 _ **If it didn't? Then still tell me all about it in the reviews! ;-)**_  
 _ **Until next time. Adios!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Notes:**_

 _ **Washington Heights! Thank you KB91 for that! When I was writing that chapter I spent hours searching for the alley where Johanna was murdered, I didn't know exactly what episode that tidbit of info was mentioned and since I'm not from New York or even that States I decided to go with a made up street name. Some time in the future I'll get to fixing that discrepancy until then please bear with me for the error!**_

 _ **The response, as usual, has been phenomenal and now that things here in Fiji are relatively back to normal after the Cyclone I'm back to weekly updates. If for any reason I skip out on posting then I will let you guys know the reason. As it is the only reason I may stop posting is if you guys want me to.**_

 _ **Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Jim Beckett was woken up by the shrill ringing of his phone; he had arrived late last night to his apartment. Having been attending a midnight AA meeting, he had been dead tired and slept in the next morning. He jerked awake as the ringtone went off and he answered the phone with trepidation. Having a daughter with such a dangerous job, he treated every unknown call to his phone as if he was picking up a poisonous spider.

He answered the call his heart beating double time.

" _Hello Mr Beckett, you are listed as the emergency contact for one Johanna Beckett?"_

Jim froze. "What?" he gasped out.

" _Johanna Beckett,"_ said the woman on the line patiently. " _According to her insurance papers you are listed as her emergency contact."_

"Uh." Jim stalled, 'What the hell was going on?'

She sighed. " _You are Jim Beckett husband of Johanna Beckett are you not?"_ she asked her voice losing the politeness and becoming clipped.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he demanded suddenly, his body tensing. "Because if this is, I am warning you I will pile up so many law suits on you-"

" _Mr Beckett_ ," the caller said her voice now cold. " _I am calling from the Presbyterian, your wife checked in earlier today with a stab wound in her arm, we are obligated in the event of a police matter to inform next of kin of the event. We do not make a habit of joking Mr Beckett, your wife is being treated here you are welcome to come see her."_ And the line cut off leaving Jim feeling weak in the knees.

He was fumbling with his phone two seconds later, hitting speed dial one and holding the device to his ear. It went to voice mail and he tried again. This time she picked up, or rather her husband picked up.

"Rick, I just got a call from the Presbyterian, they said... they said... " he couldn't say it, life was being very cruel to him once again and he was hanging on by a thread.

He heard his son in law sigh on the other end and swallowed heavily.

" _Jim we're here at the Presbyterian and I think it's best if you come here, we'll explain everything, this is not something we can talk about on the phone."_

Jim struggled to breath. "They're saying that Johanna... that Johanna..." he couldn't.

 _"Jim! Listen to me! Do as I say. Take a deep breath... let it out. Okay do it again, in...and out..., good... "_

Jim followed his instructions and got his breathing under control but his heart was still beating faster than ever.

 _"Okay now Jim, get dressed and get a cab to take you down here._ ** _Take a cab Jim_** _, got that? You're in no state to drive."_

Jim nodded then realised Rick couldn't see him. "Yeah, thanks Rick," he replied gratefully cutting off the line and getting dressed, he put on the first clothes he spotted and shrugged on a worn leather jacket. He was out of his building and flagging down a cab in record time, giving the cabby the address he finally sat back on his seat and wondered what curve ball was he being thrown this time.

* * *

Johanna didn't know what to really do with her daughter. Kate's hands were around the older woman's middle and she was squeezing Johanna with surprising strength, her lap was wet with Kate's tears and her sobs just weren't subsiding. She had tried and failed using the techniques she had perfected while raising her little girl but none of it was working.

She looked helplessly at Keith who shook his head shrugging, he was no good with crying women. She wanted to ask Castle but he had gotten a call and had moved to the far side of the room to talk.

Just as she thought it though Castle came back over and knelt next to her daughter. He stroked a gentle hand down her back and then slowly rubbed between her shoulder blades whispering softly in her ears. Kate's sob subsided soon and she slowly allowed Castle to pull her back into his arms when she rested her head her face buried in his neck.

After five minutes Kate pulled back and shakily wiped her tears with her fingers, Castle stilled her hands and pulled out a couple of tissues from his pocket. He carefully wiped away the stray tears on her cheeks and slowly leaned forward pressing a tender intimate kiss to her forehead. Kate's eyes closed at his gentle ministrations.

"Take a moment?" he asked her softly. "Clean up?"

Kate nodded and glanced with red eyes at Johanna before striding towards the bathroom. Johanna followed her daughters form with her eyes til she disappeared behind closed doors. She felt the mattress depress beside her and a hand offer her a tissue, she startled then relaxed as she saw Castle sitting a little apart from her. When she glanced at the tissue she realised that she had been crying with her daughter and her face was a mess as well. With a quiet thank you she took the tissue and wiped her cheeks and eyes dry.

"You care about her," she stated looking at the closed bathroom door.

"I love her," he replied, the way he said it made her think that his love for her daughter was his natural state like it was a foregone conclusion, as if he was made to love her. It surprised her and humbled her.

"You're Richard Castle," she stated then looking him in the eye.

Castle smiled and nodded. "That's me," he said a smirk playing around his lips.

"Tell me Mr Castle, how does my daughter end up married to my favorite author?" she asked shrewdly.

Castle's eyes widened. "Favorite author!" he exclaimed. "I knew she was a fan but I never knew that _you_..."

"Katie was never a fan of yours Castle," Johanna interrupted. "not for lack of trying on my part but she never got taken with your words like I did."

Castle's smirk was back on. "I think the entirety of my works taking centre stage on her bookshelf would beg to differ but that's beside the point. Beckett and my story is too long to complete in one setting and the truth is right now all of us, including Kate, wants to hear _your_ story."

"My story?" asked Johanna hesitantly.

"Johanna," said Castle softly. "You've been dead for fifteen years! Didn't you hear Kate? And for fifteen years she had dedicated her life to bringing your killer to justice. She left all her hopes and dreams behind to make sure that your killer didn't go free. And now finally when she succeeds here you are claiming to be her mother... "

"I _am_ her mother!" She said indignantly.

"I know that but think about what she's going through!" He implored her. "And what if this is just temporary? I mean we are talking about the paranormal here. You're not a day older than how old you were when you were killed and you're here. How do you explain that?"

Johanna bit her lip, she had been trying not to think about _that_. _What was going on? Where was she? Was this an alternate universe? A parallel dimension?_ She had never given those science fiction concepts much credibility but the proof had been in front of her; her daughter while more beautiful than ever before was older. Much older than how old she was when Johanna had left for work this morning.

She had been trying to ignore those niggling worries, especially since encountering her daughter but those questions came back with a vengeance when Castle insisted that they would want to know. _What was going on? How had she travelled fifteen years in the future where she was dead and her daughter was married?_

 _And where was her husband? Where was Jim?_ God she hadn't allowed herself to think about it but now that she thought about it hard she wondered how Jim had handled her death? Had he grieved badly?

She knew Jim loved her very much, he proved it to her daily by his devotion to her and her family, truth be told the tenderness and patience with which Castle handled Kate reminded Johanna very much of the way Jim handled a distraught Johanna.

God, had he moved on? She wouldn't blame him if he did but she knew it would hurt. It was hurting right now and as she looked into Castle's understanding blue eyes she felt fresh tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

"Jim?" she asked knowing as his son in law he would know.

Castle sighed wishing to God things would make sense soon. "He's on his way over," he replied gently. "He was the one who called, apparently the hospital found out you were his emergency contact and called him, needless to say he was freaking out, but I calmed him down and he's on his way over."

"To him I've been dead for fifteen years." for the first time really voicing those words and feeling them ring true in her core. "He must have moved on, he should have moved on, accepted my death at least?" she was hoping for a negative answer but couldn't help but feel that it made her a terrible person to think that.

Castle let out a sad smile. "You know, I've known your family for seven years now and I have to say that acceptance and moving on aren't really in their vocabulary."

Johanna winced at that. She shared that nature with her husband and daughter, it's what caused her to be in that alley instead of at dinner with her family, she just _couldn't_ let it go, just like Jim and Kate apparently.

"Your death was a trial by fire for both of them and while they didn't come out on the other side completely unscathed, they have scars to show for it. They did pass though and they _are_ better now..."

"But they weren't always were they?"

Castle shook his head but before he could say anything Kate walked back out of the bathroom, her face looked washed and Johanna noticed that most of her make up had been removed.

She walked towards them as if in a trance but a few feet away and snagged a stool and dragged it forwards to a stop in front of her. She sat down on it her hands fidgeting and her eyes roaming anywhere but to hers, they finally came to rest onto Castle's blues and after a reassuring smile Kate took a deep breath and looked at Johanna.

* * *

God how many times had she seen her in that skirt and top? Lying on the ground blood staining the material, she had that pattern of her top ingrained into her brain just like every other detail of her case, all in her mind and she knew it was the same for her husband. Castle too had invested as much into this case as she had and now her mother was sitting here in this hospital bed unaware of the things that they had faced to find justice for her.

It wasn't her fault, Kate knew that but she just couldn't grasp the fact that her dead mother was sitting in front of her alive and well and thinking it's 1999.

"Mom... " she swallowed her words then tried again. "Mom, how is this possible?" she asked her voice high with tension. "I... uh... we... me and dad we buried your body, I visit your grave more than five times a year and now you're here? Fifteen years later? How is this possible?"

"I... Honey I have no clue," replied Johanna shaking her head. "One second it's night and I'm being grabbed in a dark alley and being threatened with a knife, the next, me and my killer are standing in bright sunlight and everything's different."

"Wait, wait," Kate stopped her. "You're saying that you were transported to this time when your killer attacked you?"

Johanna nodded. "I was so scared Katie," she said shakily. "At that moment I couldn't give a damn about Pulgatti and the unjust done to him. All I could think about how my ability to not let it go was going to leave my daughter motherless and my husband a widower. God I wish I had never taken that case to begin with."

But Castle had noticed another part of Johanna's words. "Kate she said the killer came with her, so that means that Coonan..."

Kate's face paled as she shared a grave look with her husband. "We need to be on the lookout for him..."

Kate whipped out her phone and dialed dispatch. "Yes, this is Detective Kate Beckett badge number 41319 I need a B.O.L.O out on a Richard 'Dick' Coonan. Yes we have reason to believe he is still alive and that he is armed and dangerous. Yeah thanks." Then hung up.

"Detective?" whispered Johanna aghast. "Katie you're a Detective?"

"Not just any Detective," jumped in Castle. "She is arguably the best Homicide Detective on the force and definitely the best in the 12th precinct." The ring of pride in his voice did little to dissuade her mother from the horrific images going through her head. "Our case closure rate is the highest in any of the precincts in the NYPD."

Kate rubbed the bridge of her nose in agitation even as her cheeks tinged red at her husbands praise, he really knew how to lay it on thick. "Not now Castle," she said as she looked at her mother, Johanna looked shaken, kind of like the first time she'd told her dad about her career change. It had drove him back into the bottle and she had felt so guilty about pushing him towards it but she could never regret being a cop. She wondered sometimes what it would have been like to be a lawyer and it never really felt like she could do it.

Beckett was a cop and that was that, she was meant to be a homicide Detective and she was damn proud of herself for achieving that milestone. But it looked like her mother disagreed. But before she could say something Castle's phone pinged a text.

He looked down reading the messaged then looked apprehensively at the Beckett women. "What?" They both asked at the same time.

"Jim's here."

* * *

 ** _End Notes:_**

 ** _A little bit filler, little bit plot and Jim! Also a little bit short but don't hold that against me. Now holding Stana_** ** _against me? That I might consent to! ;-)_**

 ** _As usual throw your comments, questions and insults down in the review section. I love them all! Till next time. Namaste!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Notes:**_

 _ **I can not say enough times how amazing it is to read your thoughts on my story. The feedback is amazing! I hope this chapter receives the same enthusiastic response as the last one.**_

 _ **Just a note; I am boycotting Season 8 of Castle until it ends! Then I'll brings watch it skipping the stupidly unnecessary angst in the process. So I would appreciate it if there were no spoilers for Season 8 in the reviews.**_

 _ **Frankly it's my opinion that Season 7 was the perfect opportunity to wrap up this series. Purposefully milking this franchise for profits demeans this amazing Fandom and insults us fans in the process. As much as I loved Castle and Beckett, I hope this seriously is the last season.**_

 _ **But that's just my opinion, I'd love to hear yours...**_ **about this chapter** _ **down in the reviews, so here it is. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Jim's arrival created a complication that needed gentle handling; her father was by no means weak of the heart but springing an alive and young Johanna on him so suddenly? However he handled it, it wouldn't be well.

Kate still didn't quite understand what was going on or how and why her mother was suddenly here and alive but she knew that meeting her here in a sterile hospital room was not a good idea.

She unconsciously brushed her hand down her front and settled her palm on her stomach. And on top of all of this she might be pregnant, she closed her eyes and remembered the joyous bliss that had been their morning before Espo's call. No this possible baby on the way didn't add to her problems, if anything the thought of having Castle's baby filled her with a sense of rightness and completion that was indescribable, she likened it to the first time they had made love or maybe the first time she had realised that she _was in love_ with him but wasn't afraid of the thought; she couldn't describe her feelings in those situations as well.

She let out a breath and put her hand down. They were not going to be able to take a test at the hospital now, not with the plans they were about to set in motion, she would just have to wait to find out if their suspicions were correct.

The plan was for Castle and Beckett to head Jim off and take him back to their loft while Officer Keith would escort her newly resurrected mother to the same place about an hour later; once they had time to fill Jim in about their bizarre morning.

 _Officer Keith_ , wondered Kate as she looked over the young man now talking to her mother, they seemed to have established some sort of rapport in the few hours they had spent together. But Kate was wary; the man had not even blinked at the revelation of her mother's impossible situation nor had he offered any opinion on the matter but still she couldn't help but trust the guy, she even trusted him with his mother. Why was that? She frowned and tapped out a text to Ryan to carry out a background search on one Vincent Keith currently employed by the NYPD. Just because she felt safe with him didn't mean she should let her guard down.

Her message sent she carded her fingers through her long locks and shared a glance with her husband and together they stepped toward the pair conversing across the room.

"Okay we're ready," Kate said authoritatively. "Does every body get the plan?" They all nodded. "Keith I am placing my mother in your hands, if she isn't at the loft by the designated time then I'm coming after you. Got that?"

"Katie!" her mother tried to reprimand but Keith gave a small smile.

"You have my word Detective Beckett," Keith replied respectfully his back straight and his gaze sure. "Its an honor to work with you, even for a personal matter, I promise I will not let you down."

Kate assessed the man integrity before nodding. "See that you don't." She said shortly and turned to her mother who was wondering at the woman before her, her daughter was now someone who commanded a presence and respect that had fully grown man at attention, it was a surprising and slightly intimidating realisation.

"Mom," Kate said her tone soft and slightly filled with wonder. "Please be careful." It would be the cruelest form of irony if she managed to get her mother back only to lose her in a freak car accident or something. She felt Castle take her hand and she squeezed letting him know she appreciated his support.

Johanna nodded and launched herself forward hugging her daughter, she may have changed a lot but she was still her daughter. She pulled back and kissed Kate's cheek as if she was still twenty one and sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal and she was heading off to work. "I'll see you soon Katie." said Johanna and with a last glance at her mom Kate exited the room behind Castle.

Castle was a few paces away from her when he felt Kate clasp his hand and pull, he turned and found himself with an armful of emotional Beckett. She clutched the front of his shirt with her hands and muffled her mouth in his chest as she let out a sob.

Castle in turn just rubbed his wife's back and whispered sweet words of comfort until her sobs subsided and she calmed down. He pulled her back so she could look up at him and wiped her tears with the tissues he had left.

"God Castle," she hiccupped out, she hadn't cried this much since Johanna's funeral. "My mom, is standing in that room..." her voice was high and incredulous.

Castle let out a small smile as he tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. "I know," he replied, what else could he say.

"No, babe!" She said in a loud whisper. "That's my mom! That's her!" Tears splashed down her front as she pointed frantically at the closed door behind her. "That's m-my... mom..." she started panting. "My... mo-"

Castle grabbed her shoulders steadying her. "Kate look at me," he demanded and distraught amber green eyes locked onto deep bright blue. "Now take a deep breath," he took one himself and watched as Kate copied him. "Now let it out," he demonstrated and she followed, a couple more deep breaths later and the tension in her shoulders eased and she fell once again into his embrace this time more pliant but less weepy. He rubbed her shoulders with his palms and kissed her hair whispering softly in her ear. "We'll figure this out Kate, like always, we'll figure this out."

* * *

Castle let Jim and Kate out at his buildings entrance and drove off to park the Ferrari. Kate rode the elevator with a fidgeting Jim up to their loft, he had been agitated as he was waiting for them outside the hospital.

Kate reassured him that no one had been hurt and that there was something they needed to talk to him about. When he'd tried to interject she had cut him off and asked him to trust her and led him around to the emergency exit and into Castle's sports car.

Jim was concerned, it was clear that Kate had been crying and aside from greeting him Rick hadn't said a word throughout the entire ride, all he saw was that Kate had a death grip on Ricks hand and there was a tense silence between them.

He would have deduced that they had had one of their, very rare these days, huge blowouts if it wasn't for their hand holding. As the elevator moved up Jim tried to say something but a pained glance from his daughter silenced him.

The doors opened and they walked over to Ricks door, Kate pulled out her key and unlocked the lofts door letting Jim in. Kate followed her father shutting the door behind her and moving to the couch.

"Alright Katie, I've waited long enough," said Jim his voice stern. "What's going on? Have you and Rick had a fight?"

Kate shook her head as she took a seat beside her father. "No dad, Rick and I are fine, we are more than fine actually, we're great."

He could see that her response had genuine enthusiasm so he concluded that there was something else bothering his daughter. "So what's going on?"

Kate fidgeted for another moment. "Dad I really think that Rick and I need to tell you this together," Just as she spoke Castle stumbled through the door a brown paper bag clutched in his hand which he put on the table beside the door. He shucked off his coat and strode towards his wife and father in law.

"So?" he asked coming to stand beside Kate who had shot up to her feet at his entrance. "Started yet?"

Kate shook her head and Castle nodded. "Uh okay then," he fumbled with his words for a second which was cute given that words were sort of his thing. Castle looked from Jim's slightly apprehensive but forcibly calm face to his wife's absolutely terrified one and took a deep breath. Yeah this wasn't going to go down well.

* * *

Johanna, on her second ride in Keith's cop car, took a more careful look at her surroundings trying to spot tells that indicated signs that this was no longer the nineties but a niggling though had her turning to the young man beside her.

"So _Detective Beckett_ , huh?" she asked her tone light. "What can you tell me about her?"

Keith threw a small glance at her. "Who the detective?" he asked. "Well I suppose I know what everybody else knows; she's the youngest female officer to be promoted to Detective and she has the best Homicide case closure rate in the city. She's incorruptible and has earned each and every accolade. About seven years ago she became the inspiration for Richard Castle's Nikki Heat novels and he's been following her around on her cases since then. For a long time there were rumours that they were together but it was only a year ago that they confirmed their engagement. Last summer about an hour before their wedding Castle's car was pushed off the road and he was declared missing. Beckett searched for him for two months until he tuned up halfway out to sea in a dinghy. Six weeks ago they eloped and married."

Johanna's eyes were wide at the flood of information about her daughter that he knew off the top of his head.

"I'm sure there's more but all of _that_ is public knowledge and most of the information came to light when Castle started shadowing her."

Johanna shook her head. "My Katie. A cop."

"You should be proud though," he chimed in again. "Detective Beckett is one of New Yorks most decorated officers, her dedication to her job is legendary and the rumor is that she is being considered now for a promotion to Captain or somewhere even higher soon."

"I _am_ proud," she insisted not wanting any doubt about her opinion on her now grown up daughter. "Its just a dangerous job you know? When I was... uh... back in ninety nine all Katie wanted to do was become like me. A civil rights lawyer, and her aspirations were to become the first female Chief Justice. I wonder what happened to cause her to join the academy instead."

Johanna went contemplative and stared out the streets again until Keith took a turn that afforded them a generous view of the New York City skyline complete with Lady Liberty over there in the distance. Wait a minute... There was something wrong with this view.

"Where the hell is the Wold Trade Center?!"

* * *

Jim placed his elbows on his knees and rubbed the sided of his temples with his fingers as he tried to take in what his daughter and son in law were telling him. _Johanna alive? Transported to the future?_ He moved his fingers up to yank at his now mostly grey hair to wake up from this ridiculous nightmare. He didn't wake up.

"Katie... " he didn't know what to say to her.

"Dad," she said tears cascading slowly down her cheeks. "I saw her, I talked to her, I actually more or less interrogated her. It's her dad."

Rick had his arms around Kate and was rubbing his hand up and down her shoulder soothingly trying to comfort his understandably distraught wife.

Jim though shook his head. "Katie it's got to be a hoax!" he insisted. "Maybe a sick joke setup by Bracken to throw us off."

Kate just shook her head. "I asked her things only Mom would know dad and she answered them all perfectly," Kate replied her eyes red. "I didn't want to believe it dad but it is her..."

Jim rubbed a hand over his face. "Well where is this woman now?" he asked agitated once again. "I'd like to ask her a few questions myself."

"The officer who found her near her crime scene is bringing her over from the hospital," replied Rick this time.

Kate smiled a tremulous smile at her father. "Its really her dad," she said her face lit up with hope despite her tears. "Some how she's back."

Jim tried not to flinch at her daughters expression. He all too well remembered that blind hopeful look, the thought that Jo might actually walk through the door any minute now, it happened mostly when he was halfway through a bottle of cheap whiskey.

Instead he kept his face slack, emotionless. "Yeah, well we'll see about that." and the room felt silent as they waited for ' _Johanna_ ' to show up.

* * *

As if wasn't enough that she had been transported to a future where she was dead and her daughter was a cop, apparently a year after her murder the World Trade Center had collapsed because 747s high jacked by terrorists had been flown into the buildings. _God so many people..._

She shook her head trying to clear it but she couldn't help the tears coming to her eyes as she thought of the lives lost.

She didn't realise they were slowing down until they came to a complete stop, she vaguely recognized landmarks telling her she was somewhere in SoHo. She blinked up at the large expensive looking apartment complexes and tried to get it through her head that her daughter _lived_ here.

Then she came to the realisation that she was actually going to _Richard Castle's house_ and a bit of the fan girl thrill hit her! _God she had actually met Richard Castle! Her daughter was married to Richard Castle!_ Wasn't it just yesterday that she had finished reading _In A Hail of Bullets_ for the fourth time?

 _What had her life become?_ She startled out of her thoughts as Keith put a gentle palm on her arm. "Hey you okay Johanna? What's that grin for?" he asked then as Johanna smiled winningly at him and got out.

"Nothing," she quipped and nodded to the building adjacent to where they were parked. "Is this it?"

Keith nodded. "Yup," he replied putting a light hand on her back to guide her through the door. "Mr Castle's loft is on the penthouse floor."

Johanna's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" at Keith's nod she let out a low whistle. A penthouse loft in this neighborhood, in _this building_. She knew he was good but his books must have been selling like gold in the last fifteen years for him to maintain this kind of housing.

She and Jim had been well off. Their jobs as lawyers ensured that Katie never wanted for anything but this was a whole other kind of wealthy.

It wasn't until they arrived at the penthouse floor with a ding of the elevator that some of her awe subsided and she realised that not only was her favorite author and her daughter were waiting for her on the other side of that varnished oak door but her husband widowed for fifteen years was also waiting there.

 _How had he taken this news? Was he happy? Angry? Or maybe sad?_ The last she had seen of her husband, Jim had been sleeping in; his hair adorably tousled and a days worth of dark stubble growing on his thin face. What would her reaction be to seeing a fifteen years older husband? What would his be to see a still young wife, a wife he had thought was dead, had been dead for so long.

She didn't have time to contemplate much though as Keith knocked sharply on the front door. It opened a second later by Rick and all thoughts of fan-girling left her, his expression was sombre. It was clear the news hadn't been taken well.

Rick nodded at Keith then cast apologetic eyes on Johanna. "He's here," he said his tone contrite. "Come on in." He opened the door further and stepped aside allowing Johanna and Keith in then shut the door behind them.

She spied the backs of two heads over on the sofa facing away from the door. One was the now familiar golden brown locks adorned head of her daughter and close to her was another short haired head, hair that was mainly silver with a dark shade to it indicating it had just recently gone grey.

Katie stood up looking first to her husband then smiling at her, Johanna could see traces of tears on her face and her heart sank; this did not bode well.

Kate looked down at the silver haired man. "Dad? She's here."

He didn't move and Johanna gulped. She prayed to an unknown God for what? She didn't know, all she could think of was; _Please, please, please_ and then. "Jim?" she asked in a soft whisper that none the less carried over to him. She saw him stiffen then stand.

His head was bowed though and he refused to look. Kate stepped closer and put her hands on her father's shoulders and turned him around slowly she caught full blast of his features as he came into view and couldn't hold back her gasp of surprise and grief. It was at that moment that it hit her that she had lost fifteen years with this man she loved.

His gaze was locked on her feet which slowly lifted to her stocking clad legs then to her black knee length skirt and flowery black and white blouse, he hovered over her neckline taking in her tear drop pendant before finally lifting to meet her eyes.

Johanna's heart broke as she revised that previous statement to herself as it sank in, she hadn't only lost fifteen years with him. This trip to the future might have lost her her entire life with him. Because when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes all she saw was devastation.

* * *

 ** _End Notes:_**

 ** _Don't kill me! Heh! Sorry guys for the cliffhanger but the chapter was getting a little long. I promise to get the next one up as soon as I can. Again please leave spoilers for Season 8 out of the reviews. I'll see you guys with the next one! Bye!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Notes:**_

 ** _All right then. As usual your reviews were sensational and I'm sorry that this update is a couple of days late but what can you do? Anyways thanks to a reviewer I realise that the Genre of Humor really doesn't fit with the overall tone of this story, however I don't think full out angst belongs anywhere near the Castle universe so I have changed it to Drama/Romance kinda like Castle's actual canonical_** ** _rating._**

 ** _As for the Season Eight advocates I really appreciate the push to continue watching my favorite TV Show ever but I think I'll wait for it to finish. I'd rather binge watch a show then wait for each episode to release week after week._**

 ** _So without any further yapping, here's Chapter Six! Enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Johanna hastily stepped forward. "Jim," she tried and stopped short as her husband flinched and took a step back.

"Dad," Kate pleaded.

But Johanna saw the storm gathering behind Jim's eyes and knew there was no reasoning with him. Jim used to joke that Katie got her stubbornness from her but the truth was that when Jim Beckett made up his mind about something there was rarely any force other than himself who could shift him.

Her husband was rarely angry or obstinate but when he decided on something, he was sticking to it and when blew a gasket he usually wrecked the car in the process. Johanna _had_ to diffuse this situation, she stepped forward again and this time Jim stayed, she knew he was readying himself for a fight, well she wasn't going to give him one.

"Jim, what do you need?" it was a question she asked whenever he was agitated of angry or upset, when she had encountered his explosive anger for the first time and had accepted his contrite apology a week later she had made the caveat that he allow her this one question before he blew up and he promised to try and think clearly before answering it and Johanna had agreed that whatever he needed she would provided, if he needed to yell at her then she would give him a fight, if he needed to cry then she would lend a shoulder, if he needed to vent whether in bed or on the track then she would be his companion and if he needed space then she would give it to him but if he took too long then she _would_ come after him.

So she asked him and his eyes widened in surprise before closing. He took a deep breath and let it out letting the silence hang for a minute before; "I need to go," he didn't meet her eyes looking just to the right of her.

"Dad!" Kate exclaimed but Johanna shut her up with one look.

She stepped forwards until she was a hairs breadth away from him, she saw him close his eyes the effect of her closeness enveloping him again after fifteen years.

"Then go Jim," she allowed and he opened his eyes met hers in a nod and without looking at anybody else he strode out of the loft with Kate's call behind him falling on deaf ears.

"Mom!" said Kate after her father didn't stop. "Where's he going?"

"Katie your father needs time to process and that's exactly what I'm giving him." Her eyes closed and the tears she had been holding back slipped down her cheeks.

"Mom you don't understand," her daughter insisted and she was transported to those troublesome teenage years in which she heard _that_ particular phrase almost every day. "A-after you died, Dad couldn't cope... he turned to the bottle and lost himself..."

Johanna was stricken by this news and her eyes flashed open. "Is he still..."

Kate shook her head her eyes distressed. "He's been sober almost ten years but this...?"

Rick put a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder. "I don't think Jim will regress Kate but I guess if anything was to test that theory it would be this situation."

Kate nodded and buried her face in Ricks shoulder. Johanna was thinking. _Five years he had been lost? What about Kate? How had she coped?_ If it started because she died then that meant that Kate had lost her Mother _and_ Father at the same time, one to murder and another to the bottle. Suddenly her decision to join the academy, to discontinue chasing her dream started to make a little more sense.

"Do you have his sponsors number?" Rick asked Kate softly and she nodded.

"Do you think I should call?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."

Kate nodded again and swept off through a doorway to the right of the staircase presumably to make her call.

Johanna had now taken a seat on the sofa and was smoothing the creases in her skirt and avoiding their gaze as her vision blurred.

There was clearing of a throat from the doorway and Rick looked over at the young officer who was fidgeting slightly but standing at ease presumably guarding the entrance.

"So I guess my job is done?" he asked looking questioningly from Johanna to Rick.

Rick nodded smiling gratefully. "Thank you for looking after her Officer Keith," he said offering a hand to the man.

"Yeah thanks Vince," managed Johanna before resuming her inspection of her feet.

"Its no problem Johanna," he replied taking Ricks hand. "And it's been an honor Mr Castle, I hope when I make homicide you guys will still be there to show me the ropes."

Rick was surprised at Keith for treating him like a cop but didn't bring it to attention. He thanked Keith again and showed him out.

Kate returned from making her call soon after. "He says that Dad already called him and that they talked for a minute, he's okay just angry and a little down."

Rick pulled her close and rubbed her back before kissing her hair and releasing her. He whispered to her that he'll get lunch ready and she nodded gratefully at him before coming to sit next to her mother.

"Hey mom, you okay?" she asked her obviously distracted mother.

"What's going on Katie?" he mom asked her latching on her hand. "Five hours ago I was on the phone telling you and Jim about the reservations at Angelo's and coming to see you after meeting with my contact and now I'm fifteen years into the future my husband is a recovering alcoholic, and my sweet expressive daughter is married and apparently a hardened homicide detective? _What happened Katie?_ "

Kate winced a little at her mother's words and cast a glance at Castle before answering, she was surprised that she somehow kept her voice steady. "Well you... um... you died mom. That's what happened."

She looked into her mother's eyes and allowed all the pain and hurt and anger and frustration that she had felt for fifteen years show and it was Johanna's turn to flinch. Kate understood; only one man had ever managed to gaze unflinchingly back at her when she turned _that_ gaze on him and she had married that man.

"You died and we were lost. Your murder was written off as random gang violence and I couldn't accept that, dad said you were meeting with someone about a case and it was most likely something connected to that that got you killed.

"Dad couldn't accept that you were gone so he started drinking, when I showed my disapproval to his method of coping he started hiding it from me, I don't think my quitting college and joining the academy helped much, he begged me not to but where he turned to the bottle I turned to your case, I buried myself in it; became obsessed with it to the point that it was all I did. Three years after me taking my oath and too many late night calls from bars I finally told dad that I couldn't do it anymore, I was killing my self with your case and dad was killing himself with whiskey.

"I boxed up your case and stopped searching, I wasn't getting anywhere anyway. Dad came around a year later, showed me his six month chip and said he wanted to get to know his little girl again. We clung to each other and let your memory go but we never got over _you_.

"Your death colored our lives and while it seemed like we moved on we never let anybody close again. I know I built up walls around my heart so that I couldn't get hurt again but dad just lost himself in his work, he doesn't socialize and the only time he meets new people is in his AA meetings.

Johanna was openly crying at the tragic story her daughter was telling her. The pain that was laced in her words lanced through her heart and she wondered how her daughter remained dry eyed.

"But you moved on," she said. "That's g-good."

Kate shook her head. "No mom, we let you go but we never got over you because until we got closure we could never really move on."

Johanna looked around at the life her daughter made for herself. "But then how did you..."

Kate smiled a truly beautiful smile her gaze directed at the man in the kitchen area managing two pans and the oven, cutting up vegetables like a TV chef. "Rick."

Johanna frowned. "How?" she loved that Katie had found someone to love her, loved it more that he was her favorite author but what role did _Richard Castle_ actually play in Katie's life.

"His books saved me from myself. Early on I was on a path to self destruction just like dad but when I was packing up your things in your office, I came across your copy of In A Hail of Bullets. It was signed _Dear Johanna, You fight for those who can't fight for themselves, keep up the good work, love Richard Castle._ I don't know why but those words, _his words_ , hit me to the core and I cried for an hour straight clutching that book to my chest.

"When I was done I opened it and started reading. It made me feel closer to you because you read it too. Next thing I knew it was nine in the evening and I was still reading. I went home and finished it then dug up the rest of your collection. His words and his stories spun tales of strong heroes and evil villains where the good always wins despite the obstacles it faces. It gave me hope and I became his fan, just like you were.

"And how did you end up working with him?"

Kate grimaced slightly then grinned. "A case. The killer was killing people like he did in his books and I brought him in for questioning. God I hated his guts back then."

Johanna smirked slightly her mood picking up; this was familiar, girl talk she could do. "Why?"

She rolled her eyes casting a fond smile over at Rick who returned with one of his own. "He kept trying to get in my pants!" answered Kate eventually. And Johanna managed to laugh through her tears. "It was so annoying, Mom."

"But I thought you were a fan?" she giggled at her daughter losing herself in her happiness. "Weren't you flattered?"

"Flattered? More like repulsed," she insisted. "I was a fan not a groupie, so I turned down his advances while he lent a hand to help with the case. His insight helped us find the killer and let go of the patsy that was set up to take the fall. Afterwards he used his connections with the mayor to get a spot as a consultant with my team, to shadow me on my cases, he claimed I inspired him to write a book series based on me. _A tough but savvy female detective_ , he said."

Johanna gasped appropriately even though this tidbit had already been provided by Vince on the ride over. "Oh you must have loved that," she said smirking and was rewarded with an eye roll.

Kate smiled and leaned to whisper in her ear. "Mom, I squealed into my pillow for an hour the night my Captain told me, but don't tell _him_ that," she nodded at her husband who was pouring some sherry into a stir fry and lighting it up. "His ego does not need boosting."

Johanna smiled at her and nodded appreciating being her confidante once again. "But how did he help you move on from... from..." Kate grabbed her hand and held on and she marvelled at the similarities between their hands.

"From your death?" she asked and Johanna nodded. "He got me to tell him who I had lost within a month and then took it upon himself to try and find me some answers."

Johanna's eyes widened. "That's a very sweet gesture."

Kate smiled and nodded. "It was but I was too angry to see that at the time and sent him packing."

Johanna squeezed her hand taking a moment to study them. Slender, long, dexterous fingers with short elegant nails only shining with glossy polish. There was a roughness on her right thumb and marks of blisters on her index fingertip and a few on her wrist. A friend of hers, from... _before_ , shot for sport and practiced weekly, her hands were similar, with the thumb rubbed blunt by flicking the safety on and off so many times and the trigger finger always a little rougher and of course the blisters were from shell casings that fell on her hands. So similar from hers yet so different. She swallowed as it sunk in that her daughter faced down killers for a living, that she had probably had to kill some of them when they didn't come in quietly, and that she had probably gotten hurt doing this job.

She shook herself from these thoughts. They were for another time, another discussion.

"I see he didn't stay away." She replied then to her daughters earlier answer.

"He makes a habit of not doing anything I tell him to do."

"I'm thinking he was exactly who you needed in your life?" she asked slyly. "That element that was missing? Am I right?"

Kate blushed. "I guess."

"Mhmhm." Johanna hummed.

"Anyway," a couple months after Castle came back we caught a case, murder of a mob enforcer named Jack Coonan. We chased down some leads until Lanie, that's our medical examiner, identified the stab wounds and patterns matching another murder in ninety nine," she turned tortured eyes onto her own. "Yours."

"Oh honey."

"Mom, you had been stabbed in the kidney and the knife was twisted to make you go into shock, then you were slashed over and over again to make it seem like a crime of passion. Mom your were mutilated and I had to live through that."

Johann didn't hesitate in reachig out and pulling her daughter into her arms. Kate's ear went on her chest and she whispered over and over into her other one that she was not dead, hadn't been stabbed, that she was right here and that she loved her.

Her baby girl dissolved once more into tears causing Rick to look up and start moving towards them until Johanna arrested him with her eyes and shook her head imploring silently to let her handle it, he bit his lip reticently but nodded turning back to the food.

She leaned down and hummed a long forgotten tune that she used to sing to a fussy one year old Katie, she didn't know the words and Jim always teased her about her bathroom singer voice but the rumble of her chest as she hummed usually seemed to calm a wailing baby Katie.

Now no longer a baby she still quietened as she started humming, silent tears flowing until they too stopped and she only sniffled. Slowly Johanna tapered off her tune and allowed Kate to rise back up. She reached over to straighten her daughters hair marvelling at the wavy curls that made her look so beautiful.

Tears clung to her eyes but a beatific smile on Kate's face calmed her. She returned the smile and they settled into silence. Ten minutes later she was about to ask Kate to continue her story when Rick called them over.

"Kate, Johanna? Lunch is ready."

* * *

 ** _End Notes:_**

 ** _I'm going to end there. A little less eventful and I know the confrontation between J &Jo didn't really happen but it's coming soon, I promise. This is more of Johanna catching up and then taking a little breather with us. Do tell me what you thought about it, though. I'm addicted to your reviews so please don't forget to feed the monster on your way out! _**

**_Alexis in the next chapter! Something to look forward to? Maybe? So see ya til then! Bye!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Notes:**_

 _ **Okay! The reviews are amazing as usual. You guys are awesome. Thanks so much! Couple things; Beckett being so accepting? Well this is a more stable and content Beckett then the one early on in the show. And while the characters in my story remain unsure, I think we all know what the pregnancy test will read? Spoilers? Sorry! ;-) Well hormones might be in play tempering her usual suspicious nature. Also the evidence is pretty convincing don't you think? DNA tests are a complication, maybe when Lanie finds out or Ryan, Espo**_ _ **or even Gates? They could demand**_ **that** _ **kind of proof. Until then I'm willing to let them trust her at her word.**_

 _ **Anyways, here's the next one. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Jim got off the elevator, pushing the end button of his phone to end the call to his sponsor. He blindly made his way out of the building and hailed a cab, directing it to an address more familiar to him then his own home.

He mindlessly stared out the window of the taxi not noticing passing by cars, buildings or people, his only focus was to not think about anything. Not about how his palms were itching to grasp around a cold glass of beer. Not about how he could almost taste the whiskey on the tip of his tongue. Not about the numbness that would descend once he had downed a few pints, shots or sips. Not about his daughter, or his son in law and definitely not the woman who he had met in their loft ten minutes ago... _No!_ He was not thinking about that!

The cab stopped with a lurch and he swiped his card and got out.

The tall grass parted in his wake as he walked steadily through the kissing gates and into the compound beyond, he passed six tombstones before he arrived at hers. Falling on his knees in front of it he traced her name and the inscription written under it.

Vincit Omnia Veritas. Truth Conquers All Things. _Truth?_ _What was the truth now? What was he to believe?_ He knew one thing though; that woman in his daughters house? That _was_ his wife. He didn't need to ask her any questions. He didn't need any DNA evidence. He didn't need his daughter to prove it to him. He _knew_ his wife. He knew the only woman he ever loved better than he knew himself and that woman was the woman he met today. His Johanna was back. _That_ was the Truth. And he was lost.

Jim leaned his head on top of Johanna Beckett's gravestone his body wracking with sobs as he wept like so many times before. Only this time he didn't know whether it was for grief or joy.

* * *

Vince stepped off the elevator,  
still marvelling at all that had happened in the last few hours. _Time travel? Really?_ But he was never one to discount the impossible, oh he was skeptic in some aspects of the supernatural but he was always of the opinion that just because there's no evidence for it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

His contemplation left him distracted and he didn't realise where he was going, the next second he was sprawled on the ground alongside another body who was groaning in pain. He scrambled up and scurried over to the slim red head rolling on the ground clutching her wrist.

"Miss," he groaned out as he took in the dislocated appendage and the watering eyes of the blue eyed, auburn haired girl in front of her. "Oh Miss. I am so sorry. It's completely my fault. I should have been more aware."

She didn't seem to be able to form words through the pain but there wasn't any anger in her gaze, he could tell that she wasn't one to hold accidents or mistakes against someone else.

He reached out to touch her wrist and winced at the muffled scream she let out. He nodded sympathetically. "That's a fracture, not a sprain. I need to take you to the hospital."

"H-hurts," she ground out in agony. He bit his lip and looked to reception where the attendant was just staring at them in shock.

"Can I get some ice please? And a first aid kit." The girl grateful for some direction scurried off to do his bidding. Vince looked back down at the girl who was staring at her wrist with a hopeless look in her eyes.

"Hey, Miss," he tried to reassure hurriedly. "You'll be fine, I've had these kind of fractures before, unavoidable at the Academy really. They'll put a cast on and you'll be fine in a month."

She shook her head more tears filling up her captivating eyes, god he had caused this gorgeous creature pain. "I-Its my writing hand..." she managed to say. "I...have a t-test tomorrow.." she shook her head biting her lip in serious consternation and probably no small amount of pain.

"I can't say sorry enough, Miss." What else could he do? Whatever it was it wouldn't be enough.

"A-Alexis," she stuttered out as the tears finally spilled over. She tried to get up of the floor groaning in pain and frustration as she failed. He felt like the worst moron in the world.

Vince hurried forward and helped her up. "Easy, easy," he muttered hating himself more and more with every stifled sound of pain emanating from her red lips. He sighed thankfully as the receptionist hurried over with the supplies he asked for. He absently thanked her and opened the box to pull out the gauze and the cotton strips that were in there. He doubled the gauze and put the ice in between the cloth before gently wrapping it around Alexis' hand. He made her keep the ice pack steady as he wrapped the cotton strips around her wrist and tied it off.

Her breathing had evened out and she was slowly losing the pained look in her eyes. "Better?" he asked not resisting the soft smile on his lips as he took her in.

"Much thanks," she replied her cheeks coloring a little as she took in her scattered school bag and her dismantled phone lying feet away from her.

He shook his head in horror. "I'm responsible for this," he indicated the fracture. "You are not thanking me for that."

She shook her head as she avoided his gaze. "I was texting, not looking where I was going, my fault too."

He refused to let her take blame for his stupidity but didn't argue. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital, police escort will make them see you first."

She resisted looking to the elevator. "I came to visit my Dad," she said hesitantly.

He shook his head. "He can wait," Vince replied firmly. "That wrist needs to be set as quickly as possible, please don't fight me on this."

His earnest tone must have gotten through because she nodded but looked forlorn at the mess of her things on the lobby floor.

"I'll get those," he assured and grabbed her bag shoving her things into it, paying no mind to the various spilled toiletries on the floor, just packing it methodically. When he straightened he saw her face had become complete red with embarrassment but there was nothing he could say to dispel her shame.

The receptionist, Jessica the name tag read, moved forward to take the bag. "I'll keep it here for you, shall I Alexis?" the redhead nodded appreciatively as Vince picked up the pieces of her cell and fit the battery in the slot and put the cover back on. "I'll call your father and tell him where you are?" Jessica asked.

Alexis shook her head frantically. "No, please no. I'll tell him myself once I'm discharged. He'll panic needlessly, you know him."

Jessica frowned but nodded. "That I do," she shrugged and dragged Alexis' bag behind her desk as Vince handed her back her phone. She gratefully pocketed it and allowed him to escort her out.

"You know," she started. "I can take myself to the hospital. I'm sure you have more important things to do, Officer...?"

"Keith, Vincent Keith," he said leading her to his car. "And no, I'm not too busy. I'll take any heat I get for this but I hurt you and I need to see this through."

Alexis then smiled a small smile. "Its just that, my step-mom is a cop, Detective actually, and she had always told me that the unis have the more challenging jobs."

He shook his head at that and opened the passenger door for her. "I appreciate the sentiment but it think the detectives are the ones who make the real difference. Watch your hand," he said as he closed the door on her and jogged around to get to the driver side. For the second time this day he was escorting a woman to the emergency room and coincidentally she also happened to have an arm injury. What were the odds? Then something clicked.

"Detective?" he asked forestalling whatever rebuttal she had gotten ready for his earlier comment. "Your step-mom," he explained at her confused look. "You don't mean Detective Beckett?" she nodded pleased that he seemed to know her. "You're Richard Castle's daughter? I just broke the wrist of Richard Castle's daughter?" he was absolutely aghast, his career was over before it even began. And there he was thinking that he had just gained their favor by protecting Johanna. _What were they gonna say? Would they call his Captain? Ensure that he was never promoted?_ He squeezed the soft leather of his steering wheel suddenly very very tense.

"Uh last I check, it was me whose nose was buried in my phone. So you're off the hook," Alexis replied moving her hand gingerly. "How do you know them anyway?"

"Which cop in New York doesn't know them? Their partnership has resulted in the highest case closure rate in the city. There's even a course at the Academy that teaches their unorthodox way of approaching a case and the importance of considering all the possibilities not just the obvious ones. Some of their successfully closed cases are reviewed and learned from by cadets. The 3XK cases, the Scott Dunn case even the very first case they worked on? The Tisdale case? Your parents are legendary. In the last seven years there had never been a more successful partnership than Richard Castle and Detective Kate Beckett."

Alexis just stared at him. "Seriously?"

Vince smiled ruefully and put the car in gear pulling swiftly out into traffic and speeding towards the Presbyterian.

She pushed her head against the head rest and stared out the at the traffic in wonder. "Dad and Kate are superstars!"

* * *

 ** _End Notes:_**

 ** _I'll end there. So not much of Castle and Beckett in this one but there's Alexis! I hope you enjoyed. Tell me how it was as always in the reviews! Til next time. Bye!_**


End file.
